Aug 7th, 2014

Author: Alex Bruderlin

Here at Tony Hakim Personal Training, we’re going to share a secret: you don’t need a gym membership to get a good workout. You can have a workout that is just as productive with things around your home. So we’ve come up with some tips on how to work out with household items.

Weights

Instead of investing in weights, there’s a few alternatives. Water bottles can be filled with water or sand, varying with the weight you want. Books can also double as weights – we recommend hard-covers and building the weight slowly.

Balance

For balance exercises, books come back into play – the old cliché of ladies balancing books on their heads? That exercise does help, forcing you to stand up nice and straight. A broomstick or curtain rod can also be used for balance. A strip of duct tape along the floor is another great way to test your balance.

Squats

An overstuffed pillow or basketball can take the place of an exercise ball for squats against a wall – just remember to keep your head up and your shoulders back for optimum effectiveness.

Stairs

You don’t need a step-riser for aerobic exercises. If you have stairs in your home, the bottom step is a great alternative – or go to your local hardware store to find a piece of lumber the right size and shape for a fraction of the cost. Another solution is to find a local park with steps or ledges, and incorporate these exercises into a morning walk.

Our tips?

There are tons of stretches and exercises you can do that involve no equipment – just your body, which makes them ideal for fitness on a budget at home.

Be careful. Just because you are exercising at home doesn’t mean you should push yourself harder or try something extreme. Injuries happen everywhere.

If you don’t feel safe, don’t do it. If you feel that the exercises aren’t working for you, make a single appointment with a trainer to set you up with a program you can do yourself, at home. They’ll go over the exercises to make sure you are doing them correctly.

Use common sense. So many injuries in sports and fitness can be avoided if you stop and think.